Washington Brewers Fest 2016

Welcome to the 11th annual Washington Brewers Fest! The WA Brewers Fest took place in King County's Marymoor Park in Redmond. A unique all ages Beer Fest for Fathers Day weekend. There were thousands of beer heads that can sample over 500 beers from 110 different breweries. The event also offered wine and cider tastings, amazing food trucks, live music and a ton of all ages activities. As a part of Pike Brewing Co, B&P got a special look inside one of Washington's outstanding beer fests. Raise a glass' Cheers, enjoy.

Beer & Pieces

Once again, I found myself in Van Nuys’ great MacLeod Ale Brewing Co. for another collaboration between the brewery and Los Angeles based art-collective, Beats and Pieces. And once again, I was not disappointed! On Sunday, June 5th, my camera and I made our way to the second round of Beer & Pieces where the same enticing play-space and artistic factor remained in tact. I did notice, however, different forms of art, a higher sea level of peanut shells on the floor, as well as a lot of new faces, naturally. The excitement was louder than and I was eager to see what the night had in store!As aforementioned, art-collective, Beats and Pieces, and MacLeod’s joined forces for a sequel to the event: Beer and Pieces. The two never fail in collaborating well together. MacLeod’s wide spectrum of ales, stouts, and IPAs were as promising as you’d expect them to be which paired perfectly with Beats and Pieces fantastic new artwork.

After having enjoyed my perfectly poured drink in the tasting room, I gravitated towards my favorite section of the brewery - the gallery room. There I was, greeted by art pieces that were enticing me to interact with them as they surfaced flawlessly on the ivory walls. Beats and Pieces really brought their A-game, per usual, with boarding returning/new artists and their genius artwork. I couldn’t help but to cultivate my mind through the pieces that spoke to me. There were different styles of work from ceramics, comic-style illustrations (one of my favorites), woodart, to life-sized paintings. Every work of art had its own story to tell, yet all co-existed under the same roof as if each one was a chapter from the same book. I was painted with charm and fascination as I photographed event-goers flirting back and forth with the art; there was a domino effect with every person who had walked into the room. Not only were the pieces up to par, but the beats provided by DJ, Gray Skull, were not to be missed either.

As the event slowly crawled to a close, the great memories I had just made that night with new and old friends were bouncing off of the walls forcing me to stay as long as I could. Inevitably, I was creatively drenched and already stoked for the next show!

Exhibit : Kehinde Wiley A New Republic / Seattle Art Museum

The History of painting by and large has pictured very few black and brown people, and in particular very few black men. My interest is in countering that absence -- Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley lives and works in New York and Beijing. His work portrays street culture, black masculinity and the essence of hip hop as constructs that obscure the complexity and subjectivity of human identity. By inserting the black body into the classic poses of aristocrat individuals, religious figures, and men of influence from the 15th to the early 20th centuries, Wiley's work benefits and redefine a paradigm that has historically excluded young men of color.Originally focusing on male subjects, Kehinde recently embarked on a new series of striking images of women. The young men and women in Kehinde Wiley's works focus on the epic portraiture traditions of the European painters, but introduce contemporary pop culture in all its diversity. Wiley's paintings are thought-provoking composites. For his World Stage series, which began in 2006, Wiley traveled to China, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Central and South America to portray people of color in light of the histories and narratives of their respective countries, many of which are still holding on with their colonial histories. A New Republic is in its last week of exhibiting over at the SAM- Seattle Art Museum.

Hello! Exploring the Super Cute world of Hello Kitty

It's been 40 years since the furry feline made her debut. Hello Kitty has graced countless products, morphed into hundreds of thousands of iterations, and befriended millions. This global icon has always maintained her essence to inspire happiness, friendship, and fun around the world. After checking out the Hello! exhibit over at the EMP Museum, I learned more than a couple of things about the powerful image that Hello Kitty Brings to the table.

This showcase exhibits rare and unique pieces from Sanrio's archive next to mixed media works from contemporary artists around the globe inspired by Hello Kitty and her world. The exhibit has reinvented her character by an array of artists in ways you wouldn't typically see. Works made up of wood, ceramics, candy, photography, paint, and much more. Immerse yourself in two stories of colorful art and cartoony resolution. Make sure to check out the Super Space Kitty Installation out in front of the exhibit.

Fungal Abyss / WEEED

Last night I found myself over at The Sunset Tavern in Ballard, WA. A local watering hole favorite. The Sunset Tavern is split between two rooms. Betty's Room is where you can get your cocktails/beer and mingle between Ballard locals before entering the performance in the show room. Their mission is to make you feel at home and that's exactly what they did. Fungal Abyss and the band WEEED were performing their amazing sets so I made sure to make my way over to the venue. Thanks to Dan from Fungal, I enjoyed the KEXP Transistor IPA before entering what I thought was a mind altering performance by both bands. In complete awe, I managed to collect myself and take some photos and video of the performances. Here is a Promo Video I put together for Fungal Abyss. Enjoy.

It’s pretty exciting to see two great minds come togetherand collaborate with a generous amount of creativity. So, when I first heard that Shihori Nakayama and Yusei Abe were exhibiting together, I was sure to clear my schedule for the event. Yusei and Shihori have both been featured in B&P events before and they have always been pleasure to have on board. It isn’t every day that you come across artists that are not only talented, but organized, with vision, and a strong work ethic that drives them. I would strongly suggest bringing out some friends or art lovers to this event, they would surely appreciate it. I brought my neighbors who had lived in Japan for a few years and since they always spoke so highly about the different components of Japanese culture, they didn’t hesitate to come along for the ride.

SEN is a moving, two-part duo art exhibit that started at the Lune Noir store on April 2nd and will run to April 15th over by the Sawtelle. The show will make its way down to Eighten for a final reception and exhibit April 16th to the end of the month.Both Japanese born artists came to California at a young age and although had never met before, they became well acquainted at Cal State University of Long Beach where they pursued their education in fine arts. As a result, we have two amazing illustrator and print-makers who have manifested their talents into a versatile, process driven art. The word SEN means "line" in Japanese and it turned out to be a fantastic theme to the show. It's as if they've manifested a fictional universe from a doodle using a little school gained knowledge, a pen, and pure imagination as the catalyst. Although they are not always collaborating or exhibiting together, they make for a dynamic team when they do.

The contrast of reality and art are not only emphasized by the precise and well detailed direction of illustration in these pieces, but also by the aesthetic pleasure gained from hot-wiring pieces of our imagination made antiquated by traditional grown up undertakings. The details could have your nose up against the artwork and lost in the lines. Every piece is a window into something that is both sufficient in character and succinct in third dimensional perspective. I had the pleasure of observing a few of the pieces at the exhibition and I was quite entertained by the visuals, not due to my own overactive mind but more so by the idea of mentally dissecting art that challenged my intellect as well as my attention span. Although a small expo, SEN provides such vast components of seduction that not only kept me occupied, but several of other viewers who were also in attendance. The word of mouth from SEN will find its way into the hotline of Los Angeles much sooner than later.

Of course, I had to make a few art purchases before I left because both Yusei and Shihori are known to sell their artwork pretty quickly. I can say that I’m pretty happy with my purchases and will be keeping up with their events so I can further grow my collection of their art. Keep a look out for these two being featured in more B&P events in the near future.

A/NT Gallery

Art Not Terminal Gallery is a Seattle Artists' Collective that was founded in 1988. Art/Not Terminal used to be an old bus terminal, which the artists transformed into a gallery. A/NT Gallery offers multiple new exhibits every month, free to the public. In its 25 year history, A/NT Gallery has provided tons of support and space to thousands of emerging artists. The Gallery not only offers education, they do such a great job mentoring and teaching business practices, gallery display, and art reproduction.

This Gallery doesn't turn away any ambitious artist. I had an awesome chat with Lonnie (Member) all about the upcoming of the Gallery and whats to come in the near future. Keep your eyes open! I had the chance to put together a video about the gallery and the upcoming art exhibit. Enjoy!!!

Hello Everyone! This is Daniel Ortiz reporting in for B&P. I've put together a short film about one of my all time favorite bands (The Knitts) and I want to share it with the artist community. Over the years, I've caught myself through the thick and thin of the band. From rehearsals, live recordings and concerts to outings, travels and shenanigans. With that being said, Here is part I of the documentary series. Enjoy, my fellow Knittwitts.

Norman Zammitt was born in Toronto, Canada. He was raised in New York State before finding himself ( at 14 years old ) moving to California with his family. Norman studied at Pasadena City College before finishing his MFA Degree over at Otis Art Institute in 1961. Color relationship was his expertise. Zammitt’s mathematical color combinations produce the illusion of deep dimensionality and dramatic optic effects. Landscape inspired him to create these precise abstract stripped paintings. Many of Norman's mural sized paintings portray scenes of nature such as sunsets, and deserts. Norman passed away in his home in Pasadena, California at age 74. Yellow Burning is over at display in the Seattle Art Museum

Written by: MastrviewPhotographed by: Mastrview , Summer Brighton, and Charles Volkens​​September was closed with a sweet note that was the Elements show put on by collective, Beats and Pieces. On the strip of Magnolia, in North Hollywood, I found myself in the cleft of a rock: restaurant and hotspot, Bow & Truss. The space provided many layers and textures of food, drinks, music, and art, which set a fitted tone for the theme: Elements.

The multifaceted art collective joined forces with restaurant, Bow & Truss, to provide locals with an incredible event filled with live art paintings and performances, as well as installations and pieces surfacing the textured walls of the venue. Not to mention, signature style drinks and palatable foods were being served all night upon request.

Because Bow & Truss is very secluded, I did not know what to expect looking from the outside in. But once I entered, I realized I had stepped into an atrium with walls dripping in vibrant tones, which was caused by the talents of the artists. The scene was painted with sound waves coming from the banter of excited Los Angelinos and music from the DJ booth and musical acts, while locals let their curiosity for the artwork bounce around. Motions were constant and frequencies were high - once I was in this magnetic field of forward-thinking art, I did not want stray.

However, if you wanted to catch a break from all of the stimulation in the atrium, you could step inside the cavity of the restaurant where domestic and Latin wines, craft beers, and culinary cocktails were served. The food at Bow & Truss provides you with a sufficient amount of bold notes, leaving you to wonder about what you will want to order the next time you visit while you’re still working on your current meal - It’s that good.

As the night grew, musical acts changed and the live art piece who had been body-painted could be seen trickling through the cracks of the filled venue to commingle with others. You could catch people posing in front of the installation of angel wings, provided by Londubh Studio, or watching live canvas painting on the other end of the patio. There was always something to fill your time with at the event.

When the night came to a close, I could still feel the gravitational force of the Elements show permeating throughout, making it hard to leave. I found myself artistically charged by the powerful dynamic of B&P and Bow & Truss, and inspired by the different art that was planted around me. I highly suggest catching any future collaborations between these two powerful forces!